Psychiatric Emergency Response Policy

[Angeljho, MSN, NP]

Hello everyone,

My hospital had a policy in place where security officers would respond to an emergency behavioral crisis if the staff needed assistance. However, now we use something called a Psychiatric Emergency Response Team, where the unit safety staff handles the situation directly. Also, other designated unit safety staff from other units come to assist. Here's my dilemma. There was no revision of the policy to reflect this change. In fact, the old policy is still listed. All that was written was an e-mail to unit safety staff, notifying them of the changes. The nurses didn't even get a heads up or anything; we never received any e-mail. When the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team was implemented, we were all like "What's that ." I feel like a policy needs to be written to guide staff on the protocols that should be followed during a psychiatric emergency. I don't like the idea of an e-mail being sent, saying "this is what we're going to do now for the whole hospital in case of a psychiatric emergency." I brought this up to my Chief Nursing Officer but she said a policy is not needed for this.

So here's my question.. Do you guys have policies and procedures written at your facility that outlines the protocols, duties, and staff roles during a psychiatric emergency?

[PG2018]

Well, maybe your unit safety team can respond to PERT, and them plus security officers can be called PERT Plus when you need that 2 in 1 approach.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

How about the security staff being part of the PERT team?

[Nursenary]

I work at Fitz in Philly , and security is always and issue

but now that brass seem real concern about security after the fact

[SheriffLauren]

You know, I don't know what the policy actually is at my facility. I do know that when we have a HELP call (behavioural crisis emergency) staff from all mental health units respond as to the supervisors and campus police. We also have a PERT team, however they are called only when we think the patient can be verbally descelated and the on unit staff arent accomplishing it. We rarley have use for the PERT call.

This is a tangent but I do know that a policy change was just issued for CODE BLUE/DR STAT. It was that all staff responded to them, but now only D. Pub health (the medical units), supervisors and the staff on the unit with the code respond. So I believe we have a policy on HELP calls, actually I remember the PERT call policy too, but I haven't seen it.

I think an outlined policy is a safe and good idea. An email seems sloppy in my opinion (who honestly checks those regularly or at all?) And I believe that the CP should always respond to a behaviour crisis that requires an emergency call for staff backup! there presence can help staff/scared patients feel safer, they can assist if someone is being assaulted or to help deescalate, hell guard the doors if needed. But I think its better safe than sorry really. My hospital even utilizes them as 1:1 or 2:1 staff when we have highly assaultive patients.

Your supervisor saying that a policy is not needed is strange to me. I would look into the reason for the change or the policys in general.